While Piper waited at the Ranger’s lodge for Cisco’s return, hopefully with Isis, she continued to catch up on what was happening while she and Jax had been off helping the Hungry Tribe.
She sat outside the lodge chatting with Baxter, one of the Rangers who had joined the group about a year ago. Baxter had a quiet disposition and was slow to anger, which was good because he was much bigger than most cats. He was just who you wanted by your side when trouble showed up.
At the moment, he was telling Piper about his frustrations with the twins, Shaun and Tam.
A few months ago, while Jax and Piper were visiting a distant tribe, they became the target of various kinds of mischief. Nothing serious, mind you, but after a few of these pranks, it became irritating.
They finally caught the perpetrators in the act, two adolescent cats, twin brothers named Shaun and Tam. It seemed the twins had been mildly terrorizing their tribe for years.
Talking with the Rangers, the parents had an idea: perhaps spending some time with the Rangers would do the twins some good. Jax hadn’t been so sure, but Piper thought it was worth a try since the parents, and indeed the whole tribe, seemed to be at their wits’ end.
Since then, the twins had been under the supervision of the Rangers at the lodge. Unfortunately, there hadn’t been any improvement in their behavior; though luckily, their antics were confined to the Rangers and the area around the lodge. The nearby Golden Oaks tribe had been spared so far.
“I haven’t had any luck getting through to them.” Baxter was saying, “They’re either too lazy to do any meaningful work, or they spend an incredible amount of energy setting up one of their pranks. Nothing serious, just tents that collapse in the middle of the night or half a dozen wild ferrets turned loose in the lodge. That sort of thing.”
“That was actually kind of funny, but it’s all gotten pretty old.” He said with a tired grin.
“If you have any suggestions I would like to hear them.”
Piper was thoughtful, then said, “It seems like the twins are focused solely on themselves and what makes them happy. We need to show them the world outside their personal little world. Something to get them involve in, that will keep them too busy to get in so much trouble.”
Baxter mused, “Maybe something to do with your work with the Hungry Tribe or the Valley of the Flowers.”
“Now that’s an idea.” Piper said. “There’s a lot to do to get that tribe settled in and there’s some interesting mysteries to solve.”
“Hey, don’t forget that the rest of us want to get in on some of that fun too.” Baxter laughed.
“Oh, I think there will be plenty of ‘fun’ for all of us, but for now, we have work to do.” Piper said.
“Cisco should be back any day now, hopefully with Isis. We should start gathering what we need to set up a working camp in the area of the flowers. I’ll go find the twins to help me get started with that. I want you to give some thought to what all we’re going to need right away and what we’ll want later once we get things set up over there.”
“I’ll get with the other Rangers and see what we can come up with.” Baxter replied.
“Good luck getting the twins involved.” he said with grin.
Piper finally found Shaun and Tam digging a narrow ditch leading from a small spring-fed pond. She watched from a safe distance, observing their progress until they were digging the last few feet.
Piper stepped out into the open, her voice calm and matter-of-fact. “Well boys, it’s lucky you found this ditch before someone accidentally stumbled into it in the dark. There should be just enough time before sunset for you to get it all filled in.”
The twins looked at each other, then back at Piper, their expressions a mix of annoyance and resignation. Shaun spoke up first. “Yeah, yeah, we know. It’s not like we planned this or anything…”
Tam chimed in, “No, it was just a happy accident that we happened to find this ditch directed right to the middle of the camp.”
Piper smiled sweetly. “Well, I’m sure it was all just a coincidence. I think I’ll just stick around and make sure no one happens by and interrupts you while you’re working.”
The twins exchanged a glance, then began to shovel dirt back into the ditch, their movements lackluster but their faces indicating that they were putting in an effort.
As they worked, Piper settled down nearby, watching them with a keen eye. “You know, boys, it’s not too late to change your ways.”
Shaun and Tam exchanged another glance, this time more pointed. But they didn’t say anything, just continued shoveling dirt into the ditch.
Finally, after what seemed like an eternity, they finished filling in the last few feet. Piper stood up, brushing off her fur. “Well, that’s it for today, boys. I’m sure you’re both exhausted from all your hard work.”
The twins trudged along beside her as they headed back to the ranger’s lodge. As they entered the common area, they saw that everyone else was finishing their evening meal.
Stony, one of the Rangers, nodded at them as he passed by. “Hey guys, good job on getting that ditch filled in. I’m sure it was a real challenge.”
Shaun and Tam exchanged a look, then shrugged before taking seats next to Piper. They ate quietly, their faces still showing signs of exhaustion.
As soon as they finished eating, the twins excused themselves and headed off to find their beds. Piper watched them go with a satisfied smile. It had been a long day, but she thought the boys were starting to get the message.